Printing method and apparatus therefor



Aug. 22, 1939. A. SOLODAR PRINTING METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR FiledAug. 22, l936 Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEPRINTING METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR 8 Claims.

My invention relates to a method of and means for printing with Hebrewcharacters. It relates more in particular to the use of linotype andsimilar equipment in the printing of such characters.

The Hebrew alphabet comprises consonants and vowels. The letters,however, are used in a manner unusual from the standpoint of the studentof ordinary European languages in that 1 the consonants only are writtenon the line, the Vowels being indicated by characters applied on a lowerline underneath the consonants. In early Hebrew, it was not customary towrite the vowels, those skilled in the language knowing, from theconsonants employed in a word, what vowel sounds would be employed withsuch consonants. Even at the present time, in writing classic Hebrew thevowels are always omitted. By and large, however, the reader of Hebrew,or languages employing Hebrew characters, requires the presence of thevowels for a full and clear understanding of the text. Expense must beconsidered, however, and it is common in say an eight-page Jewishnewspaper to find only one page in which the vowel characters areemployed.

Because of this unusual characteristic of the language, very greatdifliculty has been encountered in applying modern printing practice tothe printing of the Hebrew characters. It is thus apparent thatsubstantially every consonant may be employed with every vowel, and thiswould require a number of separate characters equal to the sum of theconsonants and vowels if con-' ventional type line casting equipment andconventional type line casting equipment methods were sought to beemployed. Standard types of equipment have been capable of use in part,the practice up to the time of my invention being to produce a type lineemploying only the conson- 40 ants, and then to insert by hand, beneaththe consonants, the vowel signs required. This is a tedious and timeconsuming occupation, and adds greatly to the cost of printing withHebrew characters. In addition, it limits the application of standardprinting equipment and methods. In addition to the use of vowels in theunusual manner explained, the application of standard printing equipmenthas been limited by other features, some of which will be brought out inthe de-- scription of the invention.

The principal object of my invention is to utilize improved equipmentand methods in printing from Hebrew characters.

Another object is to make it possible to employ type line castingequipment such as the linotype.

Another object is to adapt the Hebrew characters to printing from,standard equipment and by means of standard methods.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from aconsideration of the following detailed description taken with theaccompanying drawing wherein Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, illustratematrices em.- ployed in accordance with my present invention,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a type line, known in the printing tradeas a slug,

Fig. 6 is a similar type line or slug showing the manner in which thevowels are cast,

Fig. '7 is a plan view showing a plurality of slugs assembled inposition for printing, and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of a sheet of paper showing the finishedprint job.

According to the principal feature and fundamental concept of myinvention, I provide separate slugs for the consonant and vowel signs ina given line of print. The consonants are cast near one margin of theslug, the lower margin, and the vowels are cast at the upper margin of asecond slug in such a position that when the two slugs are placedtogether the vowel signs will be printed in their proper placesimmediately underneath the consonants. In providing this arrangement anumber of minor but important developments are required, both from thestandpoint of suiting the characters themselves to printing by myimproved method, and for adapting the standard linotype and similarmachines to operation for casting both consonant and vowel type linesand slugs.

Up to the time of my invention all designs of the Hebrew lettersresulted in there being letters of several different widths. This raisedserious difficulties because assuming that five different widths ofconsonants were found in a particular design of letters, then obviouslyfive different widths of a particular vowel would be required, or inpreparing the vowel slug a number of blank spaces of various widthswould be required. Obviously any method of attacking the problem whichwould retain letters of various widths would lead to substantially asmuch complication and expense as the system of setting the vowels byhand. The first step of my development, therefore, preparatory to makingit possible to cast separate slugs for the consonants and vowels was todesign the consonant letters so that only two Widths of letters would benecessary. I have found that such a design not matrix for printing thesame vowel.

only makes it possible to apply my improvement to printing from Hebrewcharacters, but results in a very pleasing and acceptable design ofletter from the standpoint of the reader of the completed printed page.Accordingly, by reason of this design the consonants are of two sizeswhich, for the purpose of explanation, may be termed broad and narrow.

Looking at Figure l, I show a matrix for a broad letter while Figure 2shows a matrix for a narrow letter. Figure 3 shows a wide matrix forprinting a vowel, while Figure 4 shows a narrow It will be noted thatthe vowels appear at the top of the matrices and the consonants at thebottom of the matrices. At a corresponding place, however, at the top ofthe consonant matrices blank spaces are provided, these blank spacesbeing utilized in a manner to be explained.

Before proceeding to a further discussion of the invention, I shallrefer to common arrange-,,

ments employed on linotype machines, in order that the adoption of mymethod to the linotype machine may be understood.

It is common to provide on each matrix two types of letters, one beingthe common block type of letter, and the other the same letter initalics form. The linotype equipment is so arranged that either portionof the matrix may be presented to the type line so that from the samegroup of matrices a word may be printed in either vertical letters ofitalics depending upon the adjustment of the equipment. tomarily thereis a key which shifts the position of a given matrix topresent theitalics portion thereof for casting into a slug. The ordinary linotypemachine also has a double row of keys for the control of matrices usedin printing numbers. Ordinarily this row of keys is at the right side ofthe main letter key board. I utilize both of these arrangements inadapting the linotype to printing Hebrew characters in a manner to beexplained.

The number keys on the linotype are employed for controlling themovement of the vowel matrices, one line of letter keys controlling themovement of the broad vowel matrices, and the other for controlling thenarrow matrices bear-- The consonants.

extend to almost the extreme lower edge of the a slug. It should beremembered that all of these consonants are printed from one of twotypes of matrices, that is, either a broad matrix H as illustrated inFigure 1 or a narrow matrix 12 as illustrated in Figure 2. Blankmatrices functioning as separators may, of course, be employed inaccordance with the usual practice.

The next step is to cast the vowel slug [3 as illustrated in Figure 6.The printed sheet l4 (Figure 8) may be referred to and considered asillustrative of the text or copy which the operator would have beforehim. The first line of this copy would be printed by the two slugs l0and i3 employed together, and for explanation Gus-- purposes these twoslugs and the first line of the text may be considered together.

Looking now at the copy l4 near the center of the first line, thecharacter 3 appears, this being the same character illustrated inFigure 1. This character corresponds generally in sound to the Englishletter 1:, the letter itself being pronounced kofi. Beneath this letterin the text is a single dot used to indicate the sound ee, the latterbeing pronounced Chireck. The first letter of the last word in the firstline of the text (reading from right to left) it will be notedcorresponds to the letter shown in Figure 2, This consonant (yot)corresponds roughly in sound to the English letter y. It will be notedthat this consonant also has the vowel Chireck beneath it. Accordingly,the operator when casting the vowel slug uses at the point coincidingwith the consonant Kofi, a broad matrix carrying the vowel Chireck. Atthe place corresponding to the position of the consonant yot, he alsoemploys the vowel Chireek but this time utilizes a narrow matrix bearingthe same letter. It will be noted that the single straight lineappearing like a dash occurs also under two different consonants. Thisvowel character, patthach corresponds in general to the English sound a.This vowel is utilized in exactly the same way as explained for thevowel Chireck, in one case a broad matrix being employed and in theother case a narrow matrix. This arrangement holds throughout wherever avowel sound is printed beneath a consonant.

We now come to the case where the consonant has no vowel characterappearing beneath it as occurs in four instances in the first line ofthe text I l. tion, I may provide, if desired, wide and narrow blankmatrices to be employed in this connection, for several reasons anadvantage is obtained in utilizing the blank section of the consonantmatrix. This is accomplishedby pressing the key normally employed forprinting italics as described hereinabove. Since, however, the consonantmatrix is provided with a blank in place of the usual italics character,the vowel slug at the points referred to bears a blank as, for example,shown in the four places in the slug I3 corresponding to the vowelcharacters printed in the first line of the text M. This arrangement hastwo distinct advantages. In the first place it makes it unnecessary forthe operator to consider whether or not the consonant is broad or narrowas he would have to consider if separate blank matrices were employedbecause a corre-- sponding consonant matrix is set up in proper positionto secure the blank space on the vowel slug. Secondly, and morepertinent, the part of the matrices within sight of the operator alwayscarries a stamped letter index corresponding to the letter in reversefrom which the slug is cast. This provision is made so that the operatorcan at all times check the matrices as they are delivered to castingposition to be sure that the letters being cast correspond to the text.As a result, therefore, when the operator is preparing the vowel slug hewill have before his eyes at least some of the consonants appearing inthe text. This furnishes a guide to the reading and following of thetext during the composition of the slug.

To review now the order of preparing the vowel slug, it must, of course,be kept in mind prepared. The operator may go through the entire textand prepare all .of the consonant copy, he may prepare any portionthereof or he may prepare a line at a time. In either event he preparesthe consonants 1 and vowels separately and preferably the consonantslugs first. Looking now at the first line of text l4, this timestarting at the left of the line to set the vowels because the standardlinotype equipment delivers the matrices in the order in which theletters are read in the English language, the operator first presses thefirst consonant key. He next selects with the proper key the characterpatthac from the line set aside for controlling the movement of the widematrices. This is followed by two narrow matrices bearing vowelcharacters, by a blank corresponding to the blank employed in theconsonant line, by the consonant yot again controlled to present itsblank portion to casting position, then by the vowel chireck on a widematrix, etc-., until the entire line has been set up. The slug is thencast in the ordinary way.

In printing, the slugs are set up in the manner indicated in Figure '7,first the slug I!) followed with the slug l3, and slug l0 followed withthe slug 13' in the order shown. The resulting type set up comprisesalternate slugs of consonant and vowel characters with the consonantcharacters near the bottom edge of the slug and the vowel charactersnear the top. As shown, ample space is provided by the successiveprinted lines, that is to say, between the lower part of the vowelcharacters and the upper part of the consonant characters.

In describing my invention I have neither described nor shown in detailmechanical features of the linotype or similar mechanism, nor have Iillustrated all of the characters found in the Hebrew alphabet. As tothe former, the construction and operation of standard equipment Ibelieve to be sufiiciently well known so that those skilled in the artwill understand and be able to practice my invention only byconsideration of the discussion given hereinabove. As to the characters,it is clear that the features employed may obviously and logically beutilized whatever the characters may be.

By means of my invention a great deal of saving in time and expenseresults.

While the invention has been described as applying to printing withHebrew characters, it is obvious that it may be utilized for printing inlanguages having a generally similar arrangement of letters; that is tosay, where the normal letter line is provided with separate lettercharacters above and/or below the line. Arabic is illustrative ofanother language to which my invention is readily applicable.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. The combination in a printing system of the character described forprinting in Hebrew and similar characters, of matrices for castingconsonant characters of more than one width but each single consonanthaving only one width, and matrices for casting vowal characters, eachvowel character having a matrix corresponding to each width of consonantmatrix, whereby said matrices may be employed to cast slugs ofconsonants and slugs of vowels which may be placed side by side inaccurate register.

2. The combination in a printing system of the character described forprinting in Hebrew and similar characters of a plurality of matrices foreach vowel character, each matrix having a different width, each vowelmatrix corresponding in width to a consonant matrix, whereby a slug ofvowel characters may be cast adapted to register with a slug ofconsonant characters.

3. The combination in a printing system of the character described forprinting in Hebrew and similar characters of a plurality of matrices foreach vowel character, each matrix having a different width, andconsonant matrices, the matrices for the various consonants havingwidths corresponding to the several vowel widths, whereby when vowel andconsonant slugs are cast they may be placed side by side in accurateregister.

4. The combination in a printing system of the character described forprinting in Hebrew and similar characters, of a plurality of matricesdivided into standard widths, so that a matrix for a single letter hasonly one standard width, each of said matrices having a casting area forcasting a consonant and a casting area for casting a blank, and aplurality of matrices for casting vowel characters, there being a numberof matrices for each vowel character corresponding to the number ofdifferent standard widths of matrices for casting consonant characters,whereby a slug of consonant characters may be cast with the saidconsonant matrices, and a slug of vowel characters may be cast with theconsonantmatricesfor casting blank spaces where no vowel occurs, and thevowel matrices corresponding in width to the consonants with which theparticular vowels are associated, and whereby, when the said consonantand vowel slugs are placed side by side, the vowels and consonantstherein will be in accurate register.

5. The method of printing with Hebrew and similar characters, whichcomprises casting one slug bearing the consonant characters of a textfrom matrices of standardized widths, the consonant characters beingcast near the bottom of said slug, casting a second slug bearing thevowel characters spaced to correspond to their proper positions in thetext below the consonants, said vowel characters being cast frommatrices having the same width as the corresponding consonant matricesand said vowel characters being cast near the top of said slug, placingthe two slugs against each other to form a composite type line of vowelsand consonants in which the consonant and vowel characters are in truealignment, and printing therefrom.

6. The method of printing with Hebrew and similar characters, whichcomprises casting one slug bearing the consonant characters of a textfrom matrices of standardized widths, casting a second slug bearing thevowel characters spaced to correspond to their proper positions in thetext below the consonants, said vowel characters being cast frommatrices having the same width as the corresponding consonant matrices,placing the two slugs against each other to form a composite type lineof vowels and consonants in which the consonant and vowel characters arein true alignment, and printing therefrom, all of the said consonantsbeing cast by the use of matrices having twostandard widths, one broadand one narrow, and each vowel being cast by the use of a matrix havingthe same standard width as the consonant with which it is associated.

7. The method of printing with Hebrew and similar characters, whichcomprises casting one slug bearing the consonant characters of a textfrom matrices of standardized widths, casting a second slug bearing thevowel characters spaced to correspond to their proper positions in thetext below the consonants, said vowel characters being cast frommatrices having the same width as the corresponding consonant matrices,placing the two slugs against each other to form a composite type lineof vowels and consonants in which the consonant and vowel characters arein true alignment, and printing therefrom, the portions of the vowelslug not provided with vowel characters being cast by the use of a blankcasting area provided in the same consonant matrices employed in castingthe consonant slug, whereby the spacing between the vowel characters isautomatically proportioned to correspond to the space occupied by theconsonants.

8. The combination in a printing system of the character described forprinting Hebrew and. similar characters, of matrices for casting vowelcharacters, each of said vowel characters having a wide matrix and anarrow matrix, and matrices for casting consonants, said consonantmatrices being of but two widths and each consonant matrix adapted toregister with one of the vowel matrices, whereby a slug cast from agroup of consonant matrices is adapted to register with a slug cast fromthe vowel matrices.

ABRAHAM SOLODAR.

